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Last year's Game of the Year voting was a blowout. This year, not so much. The top ten see-sawed wildly until the very last votes were cast. But from the nearly three hundred games represented in the voting pool, these were your top ten for 2011:

Undoubtedly a controversial choice, Dragon Age 2 appeared in more "most disappointing" notes than any other game. But its intimate storyline, tremendous voice acting, and meaningful romances won over enough players to vault it into the top ten.

Saint's Row the Third

Satirical, vulgar, and downright bizarre, Saint's Row the Third charmed seemingly everyone who played it. It's proportion of #1 votes to total votes cast was impressive and shows that its fans, while fewer in number, were dedicated.

Batman: Arkham City

Larger, burlier, and more riddled with trophies than its predecessor, Batman: Arkham City gave us all a little taste of what it feels like to be the Goddamn Batman.

Dark Souls — Special Award: Console Game of the Year

Brutal, cryptic, and, at times, downright mean, Dark Souls punished its players until they loved it, and then it punished them some more.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings — Special Award: PC Game of the Year

Somewhat unwieldy subtitle aside, The Witcher 2's improved combat system and meaningful choices pleased gamers tired of the usual black and white dichotomies of modern RPGs. Watch for this game to take another crack at the top ten next year when it's released to the grubby, console-playing masses.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

At the beginning of the year, the consensus was clear: if Eidos Montreal screwed up Deus Ex, there would be rioting in the streets. Thankfully, Human Revolution is a worthy prequel to that great gem of PC gaming.

Bastion — Special Award: Indie Game of the Year

While it might be tempting to make this write-up a reference to Bastion's Narrator, the Clock isn't gonna do that. He'll just say that this indie game touched a lotta hearts and meant a lot to a lotta people.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim — Special Award: Best-Loved Game of the Year

Deep, sprawling, and beloved, Skyrim tallied up more #1 votes than any other game this year. Judging by the comments made about this game, more man hours were spent exploring the icy realm of Skyrim than almost anything else this year. And yes, you get to punch a dragon.

Portal 2 — Special Award: Most Loved Game of the Year

Racking up more total votes than any other game, Portal 2 took a few votes here, a few votes there, and climbed its way to the top. I'll avoid the temptation to make this description a string of space jokes, potato jokes, lemon jokes, and GLaDOS-style snark. Instead, I'll ask: is it really any surprise that GWJ loved a Valve-developed game more than anything else?

And now, some special awards, for games that were significant but didn't crack the top ten:

Classic Game of the Year: Batman: Arkham Asylum

For the first time this year, voting was open to any game players finished for the first time this year, rather than just new releases. Two years after its release, Arkham Asylum made a strong showing in the final tally and cemented its place as a game that will be loved for years to come. Hell, even I liked it, and I hate fun.

Mobile Game of the Year: Game Dev Story

Apparently, those of us who aren't game developers liked to pretend that we were with this mobile title, where we waged console wars to scar the heavens and ground into dust rivals we liked to call "B. Kotick."

Handheld Game of the Year: Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

Also a frontrunner for "WTF subtitle" of the year, Tactics Ogre was a beautiful, intricate swansong for the sometimes troubled PSP.

So far, 180 unique games have been listed. (It's going to take me forever to get the release dates for all of them, especially the iOS ones.)

672 unweighted votes have been cast by 74 forum members.

Unlike last year, the GOTY isn't a lock. There are just 15 weighted votes between first and second place.

Classic game of the year is pretty much locked. All the more reason to vote!

Thanks to everyone who has posted so far, especially those of you who have taken the time to explain your votes. The numbers are fun, but these kinds of threads are really all about talking up what you loved most in the games you played this year.

[*]Classic game of the year is pretty much locked. All the more reason to vote!
[/list]

Unless I've been reading wrong, I'm guessing this is Bioshock 2. That game is all over the place. Did it go on sale on Steam earlier this year?

Thanks to everyone who has posted so far, especially those of you who have taken the time to explain your votes. The numbers are fun, but these kinds of threads are really all about talking up what you loved most in the games you played this year.

I might go back and edit mine to include my reasoning, but it depends on my work schedule. I'll probably end up blogging my rationale for most of them anyway.

In regards to Homefront, I thought about adding it to my list since I found it a lot of fun, but it's a bit forgettable at the same time. This is based purely on the campaign, though.

#1 - All of the people who put Deus Ex on their list. There was so much kvetching about the game that I thought I was in the minority that still loved that game. I Plan on playing it through again next year. So I'm glad it's getting some love.

#2 - A few mentions of PSP games. They're from people I already talk to about this stuff, but as someone who loves the PSP I'm impressed at what high esteem we hold some of those games. I'm 90 hours into Tactics Ogre. In other words I've spent 90 times more in that game than Skyrim. <--- Gaming hipster

#3 - All the mentions of Metro 2033 are cool. I glommed onto it after discovering S.T.A.L.K.E.R. via Idle Thumbs and now I want all the devs left from GSC to make more cool games set in post-apocalyptic Russia. Post-apocalyptic US is played out.

Unless I've been reading wrong, I'm guessing this is Bioshock 2. That game is all over the place. Did it go on sale on Steam earlier this year?

Must be something in the water. I finally picked it up this year too, but still haven't progressed far enough to form an opinion.

Said it before, I'll say it again; Bioshock 2 definitely starts slow, but the latter half or so of the game (from Siren's Alley on) was a really remarkable experience. I thought the game was a bit of a slog for quite a while, but eventually got utterly hooked and couldn't put it down. It's most definitely worth pushing through to get to the good stuff.

"I would be insulted if I could figure out exactly what it means."
--*Legion*

1. To The Moon – The game that made me cry. Twice. It’s a story about love and redemption, about morality and science. This is a direction that I hope many more games will take in the future because there’s nothing else quite like it.

2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution – In stark contrast to the way I enjoyed “To The Moon” DX:HR was all about game mechanics. I’ve played through this using stealth, run-and-gun, hacking, tanking, you name it. Any way you approach the game is a viable option and makes for very interesting gun-play strategies. The DLC helped precipitate the mechanics into a condensed and very enjoyable micro-experience, and by a freshman studio no less! Most fun I’ve had with a single player game this year.

3. Battlefield 3 – In my opinion no other multiplayer experience can compare to the mayhem of Battlefield (except perhaps TF2). It’s one of those cases where I had certain expectations and DICE more or less provided exactly what I wanted. Gorgeous graphics, stunning sound, great squad play. I’ll be playing this for many months to come.

4. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat – Nothing beats the atmosphere of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Metro 2033 comes close but the linearity of that game confines the experience. Shadow of Chernobyl is easily one of my favorite games of all time, and each new release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. iterates on the basic formula with enough changes to keep me engaged. The recent closing of GSC Game World is a terrible loss for PC gamers because there aren’t many PC centric studios left to maintain dedication towards the system. Hopefully Call of Pripyat will not be relegated to being the de facto swan song of GSC Game World, that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 might rise from the dead. Then again if this is the last product to come out of those crazy Ukranians I’m happy they went out with a strong note.

6. League of Legends – The thing that really impresses me about this game is how much it has penetrated my non-gaming circle of friends. People I’ve never seen playing a video game, people who have chided me about my hobby as a mere childish pursuit. How is it that this game has converted them over to the dark side? The situation utterly confuses me, but at the same time I’ve enjoyed how much socialization has been generated because of this clone of a clone of a hardcore mod.

7. Portal 2 – I can’t imagine how Valve could have done a better job making a sequel to one of the best games ever made. It would have been impossible to replicate the experience of going through Portal for the first time so Valve made the smart decision to expand on the universe in a clever and fun narrative. Combine that with the euphoric zip-zoom of the classic puzzles/physics and a co-op campaign that could have warranted its own box copy. This is how you do a sequel folks.

8. Dark Souls – This game is kicking my butt. Something about abuse and addiction to abuse… whatever, the fighting mechanics are tight and I don’t feel like I’m being pandered to. This game is at the top of my pile and I know I will thoroughly enjoy the hell I’ll be putting myself through.

9. Splinter Cell: Conviction – As an ardent Splinter Cell fan I had many reservations about the new game mechanics introduced in this game. I guess Chaos Theory ruined me for future releases. That being said SC:C stayed true to its stealthy predecessors while stepping up the speed of the game mechanics. A very slick presentation for a solid entry in the franchise. And for once the PC version didn’t completely suck!

10. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood – I want to hate you Ubisoft, I really do. But you keep making these really great games… why must you torture me so? It’s been said to death but this was the sequel no one wanted and it turned out to be even better than it had any right to be. There. I’ve made the dead horse nice and pulpy.

Unless I've been reading wrong, I'm guessing this is Bioshock 2. That game is all over the place. Did it go on sale on Steam earlier this year?

Must be something in the water. I finally picked it up this year too, but still haven't progressed far enough to form an opinion.

Said it before, I'll say it again; Bioshock 2 definitely starts slow, but the latter half or so of the game (from Siren's Alley on) was a really remarkable experience. I thought the game was a bit of a slog for quite a while, but eventually got utterly hooked and couldn't put it down. It's most definitely worth pushing through to get to the good stuff.

I just cant get myself through that slog. I keep hearing how good the end is but I just dont care enough to get to the end. Just not finding it very fun.

I'm not doing old games I played this year because it would make this too hard.

1) Portal 2 (PC)

I loved the characters, the level design and the writing. I also found the new game mechanics and the "just hard enough" puzzles to be incredibly satisfying. Co-Op was also a ton of fun and I remember standing up and pumping my fist in satisfaction at 2 in the morning as Tuffalo and I got an achievement. It was awesome.

2) Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)

Another design clinic by EAD Tokyo. Every level brings new twists and mechanics that are both inventive and joyful. And just as you feel like you are mastering the game they throw the special worlds at you bringing even more dastardly design. The controls are pitch perfect and the Nintendo art style always makes me smile.

3) Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (PS3)

IT'S MAHVEL BAYBEE! For two months my friends and I would gather with our fight sticks and play MvC3. Talking sh*t, being astounded by comebacks, laughing at failures and mashing those Sanwa buttons made for some great times. CURLEH MUSTACHE!

4) Bastion (PC)

The narrator added that little something to make it stand out but I really liked the outstanding art and design decisions. Like a new weapon? Here, you can choose to master it in this side level. Game too easy? Turn on these statues and challenge yourself. Wanna play again and collect everything? New Game+. Just so many smart design decisions that added to the enjoyment of the game. And the art, music and narrator added so much atmosphere.

5) Ghost Trick (DS)

Shu Takumi at the top of his game. There are all these AAA games with insane budgets trying their hardest to ape cinema yet Takumi's minimalist DS games always evoke the most emotion out of me. I laugh out loud, I gasp, I get worried and I even get sad. I'll blindly buy anything that Shu Takumi does next (well, after I blindly buy Professor Layton X Phoenix Wright).

6) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC)

Such an awe inspiring game. I can't even imagine the ambition and time that went into building Skyrim. I played for over 70 hours and was completely engrossed for that duration. What's crazy is I plan to play through again once it's fully patched up amazing PC mods start coming out.

7) Battlefield 3 (PC)

It's all about those Battlefield moments. Rolling up to a building when the wall gets blown out from a tank shelling it. Smoke and bit are flying everywhere when all of a sudden a chopper comes out of nowhere raining death on the tank. The tank explodes right as a jet goes careening by deafening you with the sound of it's machine guns. Badass. (I'm still salty about the rush job though).

--------- There is a dip below this line.

8) Mario Kart 7 (3DS)

It's Mario Kart but it's built mostly around the mechanics of the SNES version and the online actually works well. I like that.

9) Child of Eden (360)

Sex for your brain. Just a stimulus overload as pulsating colors flow through your retina's, music pounds into your ears and the controller vibrates to the beat.

10) Void - Just a bunch of games I really liked but wasn't crazy about. I don't feel like pondering which should be in the 10 slot.

What a great year for video games!

Games I haven't played yet that would probably contend: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Batman: Arkham City, Rayman: Origins, Minecraft, Xenoblade, Shadows of the Damned, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together , The Witcher 2 and Saints Row: The Third.

1. Saints Row the Third (360) - I really really love open world and sandbox games. I play them on my PSP, I play them on my iPhone (Sim City) and I play a ton of them on my 360. Saints Row the Third is possibly second favorite ever after Crackdown. I just really had a lot of fun with it. It's one of those games where you say, "Oh yeah, video games are supposed to make you smile". It's creative and funny and witty.

Plus having access to amazing toys and vehicles early on was highly enjoyable. Game of the year with a bullet. A bullet intended for a mascot in Professor Genki's warehouse.

2. Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together (PSP) - Back when the GBA was released I was out of gaming completely. Hadn't played for years. Then I decided to pick up a GBA and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. No clue why. I was completely new to the genre. It's since become my favorite genre. Maybe tied for first with sandbox games. Tactics Ogre is better than FFTA by a lot. Possibly my favorite SRPG ever. This was a year where I thought I was going to spend more time with Valkyria Chronicles 2 or Disgaea or FFT. Instead I couldn't put down Tactics Ogre.

3. Dark Souls (360) - A complete surprise. I hated the idea of Demon Souls. I balked at Dark Souls. Then I read an article on Brainy Gamer that basically said that Demon Souls was like an old school video game. The kind where you had to figure out things on your own, talk to friends about how they solved things and enjoyed playing the game sans any kind of tutorial. Once I embraced this it transported me back to the mindset of a kid. Enjoying the game on its own merits and not worrying about what game is next on my list. Dark Souls has changed the way I game and as far as console games go I think it will be my main game for some time.

4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (360) - Excellent atmosphere, beautiful soundtrack (I purchased it in MP3 format) and really fun combat. I enjoyed the fact that I could choose how to approach a given combat scenario however I liked. Stealth, full-on shooter. It was all on the table.

5. Metro 2033 (360) - I have a thing for Russia. I find it interesting and tragic and misunderstood. I had the good fortune to visit Russia this year and practice my Russian. Getting to play a game where I could play it through on Russian was a joy.

6. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (PC) - First played it this year after running through Idle Thumbs. This was the game that started me shifting from "open world" games to games where I immersed myself in just letting the game take me where it wanted to. Where the story was told by the gameplay more than NPCs and books hidden in the game. Since this game I've been playing a lot of games where the atmosphere tells the story.

7. Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii) - Whimsical and beautiful and really fun. The first time I tilted the Wiimote to aim the Kirby Tank I literally chucked to myself.

9. Batman: Arkham City (360) - I skipped Arkham Asylum so there's no reason I should have enjoyed Akkham City. But I heard the dog whistle of "open world" and got excited. Turned out there wasn't an open world of any substance aside from saving "political prisoners". But as a comic nerd I enjoyed the fan service of all the characters. I almost rage-quit the final boss, but otherwise running around with all the gadgets and "being" The Batman was really enjoyable.

10. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (PSP) - Not much to say as I am not that far into it, but so far it's my favorite JRPG ever.

Looking at that that sounds like a lot of hyperbole, but I really think this is one of the best years for games in my lifetime. Many of the games on that list are amongst my favorite ever and will be played and owned for years. There are others that didn't make the list that were amazing as well. I even started a thread asking if this was the best year ever. In my mind it was. In part because I managed to find 10 amazing games I could put on a list without mentioning a Bethesda game, an FPS or a sports game. Yay for 2011. Well done, game devs.

EDIT: Edited for effusive praise and descriptions of why I liked these games.

I. Star Wars: The Old Republic
Granted, I've only had three days of non-beta play, but this is going to eat my life for the next year, at least. It fills the MMO void that I've had since I got sick of WoW for the last time, while actually providing a substantive story, characterization, and a sense of getting in at the ground floor.

II. Dragon Age 2
The best example yet of Bioware's dialogue, story and personality engine. The gameplay was streamlined over DA:O, and honestly, that was to my liking. The recycled environments were a pain, and the DLC is of varying quality, but the core game is a really great RPG.

III. Game Dev Story
So many hours gone. So many extended bathroom breaks.

IV. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Holy crap scary. Played it in the dark, under headphones, as it was meant to be done.

V. Mount & Blade: Warband
A bit of an older game, but I first got it in the summer sale. Totes fun.

VI. L.A. Noire
I really liked this more for its potential, than for the game itself. If only they could have completely stripped out some of the legacy GTA driving systems, and thrown a bit more complexity into the main investigation system. I have very high hopes for a sequel.

VII. Portal 2
Would be higher ranked if I'd played it more. The bits I've played are wonderful, though.

VIII. Spectromancer
Came out of nowhere, via a steam sale impulse purchase. I've sunk a goodly number of hours into it. It's a much better suited system for computer play than MtG.

IX. Elder Sign
Android port of a board/card game. Awfully fun, though a bit too limited, compared to the physical one, in terms of scenarios/opponents. Hopefully a patch or two will expand this.

X. The Witcher 2
Again, if I'd played this more, it would probably be higher ranked, but the style, gameplay and story are all a big step up from the previous game.

1. Dark Souls - Fairly sure this is my favorite game of all time. It breaks so many modern design rules and does it beautifully. I really hope that other developers are paying attention.

2. Batman Arkham Asylum - I just got around to playing it this year. It's a damn near perfect game. Perfect mix of linear story with open world gameplay. I think they messed up the ratio with Arkham City.

3. Bastion - There's all of the really obvious reasons to like this game (narration, art style, fun gameplay) but one of my favorite aspects of the game is that it's so focused and concise. Great games don't need to be $60 and 30 hours long.

4. Might and Magic : Clash of Heroes - Also just played it this year. It's just really fun. I put so many hours into it that it's hard to put much else above it.

5. Portal 2 - Probably could've benefited from more game modes (like challenge maps, for example) but still a really fun experience.

6. Donkey Kong Country Returns - Another older release I played this year. I'm not sure what it is about this game but something just clicks. It's super difficult but I never really found it that frustrating, unlike other difficult platformers. I played NSMB Wii right after it and the difference in control tightness was glaring.

7. Spectromancer - I already have a weakness for card games so this just hits the spot for me. One aspect I really like is that it seems designed to be a video game and not a card game. In real life this game would be so full of fiddly maintenance that it probably wouldn't be fun and it would take too long. On the PC it's perfect.

8. The Witcher 2 - This is kind of cheating because I'm not all that far in it but it's just great, especially with all of the updates. I can't wait to get back into it.

9. Jamestown - Super fun. Just the right level of difficulty. Another example of a small, focused game being better off for it.

10. Skyward Sword - It's a Zelda game. It's good.

Cloquette wrote:

I feel like I'm being asked to play chess but before I can make my next move, I have to listen to the innermost feelings of my queen-side rook.

I'm having a hell of a time even remembering the first half of the year.

*Nevermind. I'll have to think about my list some though.

So, digging through a list of releases for the year tells me I actually played 16 new games this year, which is higher than I expected the number to be. Of those, the singleplayer campaign was either the entirety of the game or was the draw for me in 11. I only finished 5, and that's if you fudge the statistic by saying Skyrim is "finished" after the main questline is done. Without that I only finished four games.

Overall a fairly underwhelming year of gaming for me. A few standout titles, but it wasn't nearly the non-stop awesome I found previous years to be.

1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - I've sunk well over 100 hours into this game, and I'm still playing and finding new things to do. Skyrim is a beautifully realized world, and I love exploring it. Also, I can pretend to be a viking and hit dragons in the face!

2. Dead Island - Dead Island takes the #2 spot just because it was such a huge surprise. I wasn't very optimistic, but I picked it up anyways and ended up loving it. The story and characters weren't very good, but the environments and combat mechanics were fantastic.

3. Portal 2 - It was everything I wanted it to be. More Portal, only bigger, shinier, and even more hilarious. Worth playing just for Cave Johnson's recordings alone.

4. Bastion - Another game that came out of nowhere for me, I wasn't overly impressed at first, but by the time I finished it I was in love and my second playthrough was even better. Also, one of the best gaming soundtracks I've ever heard.

5. Dark Souls - I still need to go back and sink some more time into this one, Skyrim kind of stole my attention. That said, the parts I did play were atmospheric, challenging, and really impressive.

6. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - It's short, I never really touched the multiplayer, but this game is so much fun. Stomping around in Space Marine armor is fun, chopping up Orks is fun, and using a jetpack and thunder hammer to smash everything in sight is SUPER FUN.

7. Crysis 2 - Another game that was just plain fun. Whether sniping, cloaking and stealth-killing enemies, or turning on armor mode and wading into a massive firefight, everything in this game felt great and looked fantastic.

8. Infamous 2 - I loved the first one, and the second one had tighter controls, more interesting powers, and some surprisingly epic boss fights.

9. Batman: Arkham City - The gameplay I loved from Arkham Asylum with the freedom to swoop around an actual city. Maybe the overall experience wasn't quite as cohesive as the first game, but I still had a ton of fun swooping around and beating up thugs. Did I mention the swooping? I like swooping.

10. The Binding of Isaac - At first glance it seemed like a weird little timewaster, but I ended up sinking a ton of time into this game. It also handled some very unsettling material in a way that made it accessible and entertaining without diminishing its impact. I had fun with this game, but sometimes it really disturbed me.